On the subject of pizza, there is never a shortage of opinions. Allegiances
run from the general (Chicago versus New York style, Neapolitan versus
Roman) to the particular (Pepe's versus Sally's. Gino's East versus Pizzeria
Uno), and new interpretations ever extend the pizza frontier.
In American Pie master bread baker Peter Reinhart follows the trail
from Italy to the States, capturing the stories behind the greatest
artisanal pizzas of the Old World and the New. Beginning his journey in
Genoa, Reinhart scours the countryside in search of the fabled focaccia
col formaggio. He next heads to Rome to sample the famed seven-foot-long
pizza al taglio, and then to Naples for the archetypal pizza
napoletana. back in America, the hunt resumes in the unlikely locale of
Phoenix, Arizona, where Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco has convinced many
the his pie sets the new standard in the country. The pizza mecca of New
Haven, grilled pizza in Providence, the deep-dish pies of Chicago,
California-style pizza in San Francisco and Los Angeles - these are just a
few of the tasty attractions on Reinhart's epic tour.
Returning to the kitchen, Reinhart gives a master class on pizza-making
techniques and provides more than 60 recipes for doughs, sauces, and
toppings, and the pizzas that bring them all together.
